Chickens and Roosters by Maji

Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. (Nehemiah 5:18 ESV)

As I have continued reading through the Old Testament, I came across another mention of birds. This time in Nehemiah.

In Nehemiah 5:18, Nehemiah is providing for around 150 people daily. The cost is one ox, six choice sheep and fowls or birds and wine. He is personally providing for them from his own wealth. As Governor, he could have required these provision be provided for by the people, but Nehemiah knows that the people are over-burdened already.

This is the only mention of birds in the book and this time they are being eaten. That means several things.

1) These would have been “clean” birds and on the “do eat” list. This will be speculation on my part, but most likely they were birds like chickens, turkeys, ducks, quinea fowl, pheasants, quail or something along that line.

After hunting for traditions, searching for birds, and clearing the legal hurdles, the dinner eventually included: chicken, turkey, duck, goose, muscovy duck, mallard, pigeon, dove, pheasant, partridge, quail, guinea fowl, sparrow… (from an article about finding kosher birds in Israel today)

2) They were being prepared for at least 150 people daily – (5:17)

The different versions give these clues:
Various – “Fowls”, “fowls were prepared for me”, “birds”
Brenton – “a goat”
CEV – “lots of chickens were prepared.”
GNB – “many chickens”
ERV – “different kinds of birds”
ISV – “various kinds of poultry was prepared for me” or

Not sure where that “goat” came from. This seems like a simple verse telling about eating birds, that is true, but it is in the Bible, and this is the Birds of the Bible series. So when verses are found with them, they are written about.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) by Daves BirdingPix

Nehemiah, an exile, was the Cupbearer for King Artaxerxes. He tells the king about the problems of the broken wall, and ruins in Jerusalem. After praying, he ask permission to go and rebuild the walls. The King gives permission and even provides some supplies. Nehemiah then goes to Jerusalem for around 12 years. God uses him to encourage the returned exiles and rebuild the city. The people are poor and Nehemiah not only meets his own needs, but also feeds others from his own wealth. This relieves the burden of feeding him as is the custom for those in power.

Here are some of the comments from some of the commentaries. Nehemiah had many good qualities and is a good example.

(Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)2. More particularly, observe here, (1.) How little Nehemiah received of what he might have required. He did the work of the governor, but he did not eat the bread of the governor (Neh_5:14), did not require it, Neh_5:18. So far was he from extorting more than his due that he never demanded that, but lived upon what he had got in the king of Persia’s court and his own estate in Judea: the reason he gives for this piece of self-denial is, Because the bondage was heavy upon the people. He might have used the common excuse for rigour in such cases, that it would be a wrong to his successors not to demand his dues; but let them look to themselves: he considered the afflicted state of the Jews, and, while they groaned under so much hardship, he could not find it in his heart to add to their burden, but would rather lessen his own estate than ruin them. note, In our demands we must consider not only the justice of them, but the ability of those on whom we make them; where there is nothing to be had we know who loses his right. (2.) How much he gave which he might have withheld. [1.] His servants’ work, Neh_5:16. The servants of princes think themselves excused from labour; but Nehemiah’s servants, by his order no doubt, were all gathered to the work. Those that have many servants should contrive how they may do good with them and keep them well employed. [2.] His own meat, Neh_5:17, Neh_5:18. He kept a very good table, not on certain days, but constantly; he had many honourable guests, at least 150 of his own countrymen, persons of the first rank, besides strangers that came to him upon business; and he had plentiful provisions for his guests, beef, and mutton, and fowl, and all sorts of wine. Let those in public places remember that they were preferred to do good, not to enrich themselves; and let people in humbler stations learn to use hospitality one to another without grudging, 1Pe_4:9.
III. He concludes with a prayer (Neh_5:19): Think upon me, my God, for good. 1. Nehemiah here mentions what he had done for this people, not in pride, as boasting of himself, nor in passion, as upbraiding them, nor does it appear that he had occasion to do it in his own vindication, as Paul had to relate his like self-denying tenderness towards the Corinthians, but to shame the rulers out of their oppressions; let them learn of him to be neither greedy in their demands nor paltry in their expenses, and then they would have the credit and comfort of their liberality, as he had. 2. He mentions it to God in prayer, not as if he thought he had hereby merited any favour from God, as a debt, but to show that he looked not for any recompence of his generosity from men, but depended upon God only to make up to him what he had lost and laid out for his honour; and he reckoned the favour of God reward enough. “If God do but think upon me for good, I have enough.” His thoughts to us-ward are our happiness, Psa_40:5. He refers it to God to recompense him in such a manner as he pleased. “If men forget me, let my God think on me, and I desire no more.”

Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar) by Ian

(Chuck Smith) “Now Nehemiah was a beautiful example unto the people in that he did not take a salary from the people. He did not take of their taxes, but he supported himself completely all the while that he was there. Not exacting taxes upon the people in order that he might live a luxurious kind of life. The governors that had been there before him all lived off of the people, but Nehemiah lived off of his own resources, showing really that his heart was in his office. It was not just a job; it was a real calling of his heart. And he even fed his guests, and he had 150 people eating at his table everyday. So it took one oxen, a half a dozen sheep and all to feed all of these people that came. But he took all of that out of his own pocket.”

(Believer’s Bible Commentary) “5:14-19 A short account of Nehemiah’s twelve-year tenure as governor closes chapter 5. He supported himself rather than charge the people with his maintenance. He did not take advantage of his position to acquire land or feather his nest for the future. His time was devoted to making Jerusalem safe for his brothers, not to building his own personal fortune. He supplied his own table and welcomed strangers to share his hospitality. He did all this because he feared God. If God kept track of his sacrifices, that was sufficient for Nehemiah.”

Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani) by Lee at LPZoo from Kenya

(Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge)
“Nehemiah 5:18
one ox: This was food sufficient for more than two hundred men. Bp. Pococke says that the bey of Tunis had daily twelve sheep, with fish and fowls, soups, oranges, eggs, onions, boiled rice, etc., etc. His nobles dined with him; after they had done, the servants sat down; and when they had finished, the poor took what was left. Here the bey’s twelve sheep are equal to Nehemiah’s one ox and six choice sheep; and probably the mode of living between the two was nearly alike. It is still the practice in the East to calculate the expenses of the table, not by the money paid, but by the provisions consumed by the guests.
required: Neh_5:14-15
because the bondage: Psa_37:21, Psa_37:26″

(Wesley) “Nehemiah 5:18 Required not – But bore it out of my own estate: which was very considerable, his office in the Persian court being a place of great profit.”

(K & D) “Neh_5:18
“And that which was prepared for one (i.e., a single) day was one ox, six choice (therefore fat) sheep, and fowls; they were prepared for me, i.e., at my expense, and once in ten days a quantity of wine of all kinds.” The meaning of the last clause seems to be, that the wine was furnished every ten days; no certain quantity, however, is mentioned, but it is only designated in general terms as very great, לְהַרְבֵּה. זֶה וְעִם, and with this, i.e., notwithstanding this, great expenditure, I did not require the bread of the Pechah (the allowance for the governor, comp. Neh_5:14), for the service was heavy upon the people. הָעֲבֹדָה is the service of building the walls of Jerusalem. Thus Nehemiah, from compassion for his heavily burdened countrymen, resigned the allowance to which as governor he was entitled.”

(John Gill’s Exposition) “Nehemiah 5:18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep,…. Or fat ones; of beef and mutton a considerable quantity, abundantly sufficient for his guests and servants, and shows what a good table he kept:

also fowls were prepared for me; what number is not said:

..yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor; the salary that used to be given him, but did this at his own expense, out of his own estate in Judea; or what he had got by his office as cupbearer to the king of Persia, the salary of which perhaps was continued:

because the bondage was heavy upon the people; the tribute of the king of Persia, and their labour and expense in building the walls of the city.”

Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora) by Ian

(Guzik Commentary) “2. (17-18) Nehemiah’s example of generosity.

And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

a. And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers: Nehemiah not only did not take when he could have; he also gave when he didn’t have to. He received a lot of food from the king’s provisions, which he could have sold for his own profit. Instead, he gave them away to be the example of generosity – feeding as many as 150 people regularly.

b. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions: Nehemiah could have taken more (the governor’s provisions), but he didn’t. Therefore, Nehemiah was an example for what he did not take and for what he did not keep.

c. Because the bondage was heavy on this people: Nehemiah, in his own life, lived the way he told the nobles and rulers to live – to not take personal advantage of another’s need. He did what every godly leader must do: he never expected more of his followers than he expected of himself.”

Most of these birds come from the Galliformes Order
See also Birds of the Bible:
Chickens/Hens/Roosters
Doves and Pigeons
Partridge
Peacocks
Quails
Sparrows
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